Microtonic Alternative ~upd~
If you use Microtonic almost exclusively for its kick drums (which is common in Techno and House), is a fantastic free option.
It offers a workflow centered around slicing and mangling, which is a great contrast to Microtonic's synthesis-first approach. Best for: Lo-fi hip hop, Synthwave, and Boom Bap. Comparison Table: Microtonic vs. Competitors Primary Engine Sequencing Microtonic Drum Synthesis 16-step / Pattern Clean, Synthetic DrumComputer Resonator / Wavetable Generative Glitchy, Modern PunchBOX Hybrid (Sample + Synth) N/A (Triggered) Heavy, Aggressive DrumSpillage FM / Physical Modeling N/A (Triggered) Detailed, Versatile Conclusion microtonic alternative
Blackwood’s Etude in 15-note equal temperament (80 cents per step) presents a tonic at 0 cents, but the scale lacks perfect fifths. The ear, trained to expect a 700-cent fifth, receives a 720-cent fifth instead. Blackwood demonstrates that a microtonic can be established purely by rhythmic and melodic repetition, even when harmonic support is “detuned.” If you use Microtonic almost exclusively for its
Skeptics argue that the microtonic is merely a “detuned version” of a standard tonic, not an independent category. This paper concedes that long-term enculturation to 12-TET may make a 50-cent microtonic sound like “out-of-tune C.” However, we counter that infant listeners, or listeners from microtonal cultures (e.g., Turkish makam , Indonesian slendro ), would find the microtonic more natural. The “alternative” is thus both acoustic and cognitive. Comparison Table: Microtonic vs
Perhaps the closest spiritual successor to Microtonic, DrumComputer uses high-level synthesis to create unique, "alien" drum sounds.